Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 518

For Fanny, Ariana's affairs were her own.

Not to mention, Gwen was part of the Castro family.

Even though she wasn’t particularly fond of Damon, the Castro family had always treated her well, and she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

So when Damon returned that evening, Fanny blinked a few times before bringing the matter up.

Damon studied her with amused interest.

With a serious expression, Fanny said, "Gwen is still your sister, after all, and the marriage alliance with the Stone family represents the Castro family. If word gets out that she’s being bullied and the Castro Family doesn’t step in, it’ll be a joke. Don’t you think?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. "Rare to see you so invested in the Castro family’s affairs."

Fanny frowned. "What do you mean I’m not invested? I’ve always cared! It’s just that you’ve been too busy at the company to notice my efforts." She even let out an exaggerated sigh for effect.

Damon gave her a sidelong glance, clearly unwilling to argue further, and simply said, "I’ll handle it."

Fanny exhaled in relief.

Damon studied her for a moment before adding, "You’re not worried this might affect your relationship with Ariana?" His tone turned noticeably colder when he mentioned the word "relationship."

Had Fanny been paying closer attention, she might have detected a hint of displeasure in his voice.

Or, to put it another way, a faint trace of jealousy.

Because aside from her parents and siblings, Ariana was the most important person in Fanny’s life. In fact, their friendship seemed to overshadow even her relationship with Damon. She paid more attention to Ariana than to him. So his irritation was only natural.

Fanny, however, froze.

She stared at Damon blankly for a long moment before scratching her head and saying, "Uh… well, no. Ariana is Ariana, and the Stone family is the Stone family. She wouldn’t misunderstand me."

A faint smirk played at the corner of Damon's lips. "Ariana put you up to this, didn't she?"

Fanny remained silent, shifting uncomfortably under his penetrating gaze.

Damon chuckled, though the warmth didn't quite reach his eyes. He narrowed them slightly, his voice laced with dry amusement. "You really do go above and beyond for your best friend."

Fanny frowned, irritation flickering across her face as she took a subtle step back, putting some distance between them. "Gwen is your sister, for heaven's sake! Even if Ariana told me about this, it's only because Gwen is her sister-in-law. Tch. You, her own brother, can't even measure up to the concern of her in-laws. And you have the nerve to—" Her words trailed off abruptly as Damon's expression darkened, his gaze turning icy.

Clearing her throat, she forced a strained laugh. "Uh, what I meant was... women are naturally more attentive to these things. And since Ariana is part of the Stone family, she’s more in the loop. Now that we know, of course we should help Gwen out. After all, she’s a daughter of the Castro family."

Damon studied Fanny’s placating expression, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly in amusement.

"I see," he replied coolly.

Fanny blinked, stealing a glance at his unreadable face before pouting in frustration.

Damon ignored her reaction and smoothly changed the subject. Rising to his feet, he said, "The Stone and Olson families are forming an alliance through marriage. The engagement ceremony is in five days—they’ve sent invitations. Make sure you pick out a suitable gown."

In the past, Damon rarely brought a female companion to events unless absolutely necessary, often just dragging along some random employee from the company.

But now, things were different.

He had a wife. And for occasions like this, bringing his own spouse was only fitting.

If Damon was the more capable one, then he should inherit the business. Maxwell had no head for commerce—handing it to him would only lead to bankruptcy.

Hearing her eldest son’s request, Mrs. Castro smiled faintly. "Alright, I’ll pay the Stone family a visit and see what’s going on."

She didn’t particularly like the illegitimate daughter, but she didn’t despise her either. Indifference was the best she could offer.

It was already generous of her not to hold Gwen’s mother’s mistakes against the girl. She had zero interest in the illegitimate child’s affairs. But since her son had asked, she might as well check on it—it wasn’t like it would cost her much effort.

After settling the matter, Damon gave a slight nod and said, "I'll be off then. Fanny might have slept in today, so please go easy on her."

Mrs. Castro raised an eyebrow at that.

With a teasing glint in her eyes, she shot her eldest son a knowing smile. "Got it. But you youngsters should still be mindful. Some things shouldn't be overdone—it's not good for your health."

Damon's lips twitched slightly.

He didn’t argue, though. Instead, he simply muttered an "Mm" before heading out the door.

Truth be told, Fanny wasn’t struggling to get out of bed for *that* reason—she was just plain lazy. And honestly, Damon found her sleepy, bed-headed antics rather endearing. Still, to avoid any friction between his wife and mother, he’d casually mentioned it. Who knew his mom would jump to *that* conclusion? He sighed inwardly but didn’t bother correcting her.

Let the misunderstanding be.

As long as Fanny and his mother got along, that was all that mattered.

He knew his mother wouldn’t hold a grudge against Fanny or stir up the kind of petty in-law drama some families suffered from. But even so, he didn’t want any lingering awkwardness between them. Deep down, he really hoped Fanny and his mom could maintain a warm, easy relationship.